


Constant Drumming of My Heart

by punk_rock_yuppie



Category: DC's Legends of Tomorrow (TV), The Flash (TV 2014)
Genre: Constants, M/M, Time Travel, and slash, other background characters mentioned, preslash
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-02-17
Updated: 2016-02-17
Packaged: 2018-05-21 06:09:46
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,781
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6041110
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/punk_rock_yuppie/pseuds/punk_rock_yuppie
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>
  <i>“True love is the tide that pulls out to sea, but always returns to kiss the shore at sunrise.”―Shannon L. Alder</i>
</p><p>Len is forced to find his constant when he gets separated from the team.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Constant Drumming of My Heart

**Author's Note:**

> Written for fn-zerochill on tumblr! They requested: _coldflash prompt, len is lost in time and finds his way to barry, his "constant" (like on LOST, the person you can find at any point in your timeline to hold onto)_. 
> 
> I have never actually seen Lost, so I had to wiki what they meant and I tweaked it a bit. In lost, to my understanding, the person in the past is the age they would be in that time, whereas when the Legends crew goes back in time they walk around as the age they are in the show (if that makes sense). So, for this, Len is still the same age he normally is in the show, whereas Barry is 17/18ish. (Len is meant to have been dropped not too long before the series starts)
> 
> basically, in this universe, a constant is someone who exists at both points in time, and keeps the time-traveling person stable. just being near that person grounds the other, brings them to earth and keeps them level-headed. hope that makes sense!!
> 
> I'm not 100% with this but I can't think of ways to change it. Enjoy!

Len is assuredly _not panicking_. Not in the slightest. Despite the fact he’s completely separated from the rest of his team, with no means of contact—Leonard Snart is _not panicking_. Not yet, anyway.

He still isn’t sure what happened. They had been flying, preparing to make another time jump, when they were attacked mid-air yet again. It’s a blur behind Len’s eyelids: everyone frantic, fixing this, repairing that, screaming, shouting, shooting… What he recalls most clearly is a flash of bright light and the weightlessness of falling, bringing him to now.

He looks around wearily. The streets look faintly familiar as if he’s known them in a dream. He casts a gaze at the sky and wonders if the others went down in the ship, here in this time, or if they managed to escape and are already in another decade without him. The thought is alarming but Len forces himself to remain calm.

Rip’s voice filters through his thoughts just as rain begins to fall. Len sets about finding shelter and recalls something Rip had told them in passing, clearly never expecting them to need the resource. He had obviously warned them against contacting their past or future selves, lest they further damage the timeline—but he’d also informed them of ‘constants.’ A person, present in both times, who can ground you and keep you level-headed should you end up separated.

Rip’s voice is almost a laugh, as though he almost found it negligible to mention.

Now, though, Len is glad for the information. With hands shoved deep in his pockets and gun holstered at his side, he sets about finding cover and finding a constant.

)

As he ducks in and out of stores and restaurants, Len quickly discovers he’s actually in the middle-early new millennium. He recognizes the hits on the radio and catches glimpses of this trend or that. It comforts him to know he’s not that far from the present, that he’s sometime not entirely foreign. He makes his way easily to Jitters, far less crowded than it is in the present as it’s only beginning its business.

It is as he’s sitting and sipping at a mocha—peppermint, white chocolate—wondering how exactly he’ll know when he’s found his constant that a chill runs through him. Len looks up from his drink to see a familiar body running, book bag slung over a shoulder, across the street. The bag bounces with each stride and the coffee in the kid’s hand sways dangerously as he darts around the other people taking up the sidewalk.

Len doesn’t bother trying to ignore the shiver in his spine. Rip may have not gone into extreme detail about constants, but Len isn’t stupid. He knows a _sign_ when he feels one. He stands and follows Barry at a casual pace. The people stepping aside for Barry leave an open path for Len to follow. Despite Barry’s half-jog, Len doesn’t lose sight of the kid until they reach a building, and Barry ducks inside.

Len stands outside and stares. He sips at the last drops of his mocha as he takes in the sight.

 _Central City High School_.

He knows he can’t play the part of a high school student any better than he could play the part of a priest, so Len doesn’t even lend merit to the thought of trying to sneak in and see Barry. Just catching a peek at the kid has settled Len’s stomach and relaxed him. He wasn’t panicking before but now he feels especially at ease. It’s that feeling of serenity that convinces Len to occupy himself until school is out, until he can easily be close to this Barry.

)

It’s with another mocha and a drink for Barry in hand that finds Len standing at the steps of the high school. The final bell rings right on time, and the kids filter out around Len. No one pays him any mind, and it’s a reminder that he isn’t quite as notable here, in this time. He waits easily, eyes scanning the crowd of faces for Barry’s.

Once the steps clear and there’s still no sign of him, Len wonders if he miscalculated: if perhaps Barry left early, or wouldn’t be leaving until much later in the evening, or maybe he had caught on and was avoiding Len for whatever reason.  Len stays calm, though, and collected, knowing that his thoughts are only abounding so crazily due to the madness of time travel. He certainly isn’t panicking and certainly isn’t overreacting to another slight hiccup in his plan.

He’s so lost in his (absolutely not panicked) thoughts, he almost misses it when Barry _does_ leave the school. Barry’s glasses are slipping down his nose and said nose is buried in a book as the kid walks. Len pushes off where he’d been leaning on the wall and walks a few paces behind. It’s after the third left turn they’ve taken around the block that Len knows the jig is up and Barry is onto him.

Len stops just as Barry does, and waits. Barry turns just as expected, and his face is pleasantly flushed and drawn together in confusion, frustration. Len takes in the image of this Barry, just a touch younger than the one he knows and yet looking entirely differently. It’s likely because the Barry Len typically knows is also Flash, with the weight of worlds on his shoulders. This Barry looks considerably more carefree, and his face is just a touch softer with baby-fat. It’s endearing.

“Hello?” Barry’s voice is sharp, louder since he stands now toe-to-toe with Len. “I’m talking to you.”

Len blinks owlishly. His lips are drawn in a firm line to not give away anything quite yet.

“Why are you following me?”

“I’m not sure you’d believe me if I told you.” Len jokes under his breath, though he’s not sure what revealing the truth to Barry would change. Probably _everything_ , and that’s not a risk worth taking. Instead, he holds out the drink for Barry as a peace offering. “Here. I had a feeling you were a cinnamon latte kind of guy.”

Barry takes a step back in surprise but he doesn’t turn down the drink. Rather, he grabs for it eagerly and takes a sip without hesitating. The action sparks something in Len—this innate trust Barry seems to have for him is instantly exhilarating and addictive. Barry’s face splits into a brief smile at the taste of cinnamon and coffee then hardens again. When he speaks, his voice is softer. “I don’t know how you know that but it doesn’t make you following me any less creepy.”

“Does it make it more romantic?” Len teases.

Barry blushes again and seems speechless.

The feeling in the pit of his stomach that had once been swelling with dread had melted into comfort. Barry is his constant, here and then and probably further in the past as well. It’s easy to stand here with this Barry, young but not oddly so. Len can feel the pull between them, and if he were younger he might consider the idea of asking this Barry to dinner. As it is, he feels leery thinking of this Barry that way. He settles for staring at the kid, unabashed and silently.

Barry opens his mouth to say something else when a cough pulls attention elsewhere. Len and Barry both look over to see Mick approaching them, not that Barry knows who he is. It’s not some sort of past Mick, it’s definitely the one Len has worked closely with for years now. Len is relieved, and tells himself the disappointment is silly. He nods to Mick and motions for him to stop a few feet away. With Mick waiting, Len turns his attention back to Barry.

Len tips an imaginary hat, and winks. “Until next time, kid.” And just like that, leaving Barry slack-jawed and undoubtedly confused, Len joins Mick in returning to the ship.

)

Despite the queasy looks on everyone’s faces, Rip insists on bringing them back to their regular time at least for a few days. He tells them it’s to recuperate and take care of loose ends if need be, and they all groan in appreciation.

As the disembark from the ship, Len catches Mick by the elbow. “Go check on Lisa for me.”

Mick’s face scrunches up. “Where’re you going?”

“I have to take care of something. I’ll meet up with you later. Just make sure Lisa is fine.” Len commands, satisfied when Mick doesn’t argue.

)

It’s easy enough to startle Barry in his own apartment. Len has done it before and will in all likelihood do it at some point in the future. The only difference now from times past is Barry doesn’t corner him and demand answers. Instead, Barry sighs in exasperation and Len is fairly certain a flicker of _fondness_ covers the kid’s expression.

“Make yourself at home.” Barry greets with a sweeping gesture to the living room.

Len smirks. He takes careful steps to the kid, leaving time for Barry to run or stop him. Barry doesn’t even seem perturbed, though. When they’re standing toe-to-toe, Len’s smirk widens.

“Did you always stalk me when I was in high school or was that just a recent thing?” Barry asks. Len is only slightly surprised by the boldness of the statement, more pleased than anything. “You’re kind of creepy.” But there’s no venom in Barry’s tone, hasn’t been in a long while.

Len invades his space a little more. “I think you enjoy it, so what does that make you?”

Barry counters by grabbing the fabric of Len’s parka, bringing that minute inch closer. “A sucker, probably.” Barry tilts his head just so and moves quicker than Len can anticipate. Their lips are brushing in the blink of an eye and Len scrambles to get his arms around Barry in return. That feeling he’d felt in the past, the settling calm and ease in his gut, returns full-fledged.

Len grins into the kiss and that’s when Barry pulls back. Len raises an eyebrow and Barry responds to an unasked question.

“You’re going to have to explain everything to me, you know. I’d love to know why you’ve apparently been on my mind for several years now.” Barry kisses him in a way that’s likely meant to be chaste, but Len licks at his lips to derail the plan. His hands dig into Barry’s hips and their mouths open lewdly to one another. When they finally pull back, Barry is breathless. “But that can wait, I guess.”

The sheepish smile he flashes Len is almost too much.


End file.
